In the Aquatic Effects module, you can navigate through a series of steps to produce a Species Sensitivity Distribution (SSD), a curve based on acute effects (LC50, EC50) for various exposure times (24, 48, 72, and 96 hours) to a specific pollutant. SSDs are probabilistic models that show the sensitivity of biological species to a chemical or oil.

Also included in CAFE are Short Exposure Risk Reports for a selected number of chemicals, and a User-Added section that allows you to add your own data to SSDs.

On the Home tab of CAFE, you can choose between four different spill scenarios: Chemical, Oil only, Dispersant only, and Dispersant and oil (mixed). You can also view Short Exposure Risk Reports, or add your own toxicity data in the User-Added Data section. The User Manual and “How To Use CAFE” document are also available on this screen.

More Information about CAFE

CAFE Fact Sheet [PDF, 410 KB]: Learn more about basic features of CAFE in this short fact sheet. CAFE was developed by NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration, in collaboration with Research Planning, Inc.

Questions: Contact us with your questions, comments, or suggestions for CAFE.